The Journey Down

SEK 409,237

1,389

This is so awesome, and we've really been hoping to make this happen. THANKS everyone for giving TJD3 the best damn soundtrack imaginable!

We've also added a brand new reward to the campaign: Name-A-Henchman

The new reward comes with it's own Henchmania-tier which is in-between Underland Explorer and Punkadelic. You can read more about it in the latest campaign update.

In a shady corner of Kingsport Bay...

...at the outskirts of St Armando, Bwana and his trusted sidekick Kito struggle to make ends meet at their run-down gas station. Little do they know that the search for a lost journal will lead them to forgotten secrets of the mysterious Underland.

The Journey Down is a classic point & click adventure game in three chapters. The first two chapters are already finished and the third (and final) chapter is on its way - but it needs your support!

The first chapter (released in 2012) is set in the outskirts of St Armando where Bwana, the game's main protagonist, is approached by a mysterious woman from Agibo University. Little do they know that they are about to be thrown into a spine-tingling adventure that will take them far from home and right into a twisting plot of corruption and danger.

In the second chapter (released in 2014) the plot thickens as our heroes plunge down into the mist below the Edge and wind up in the foggy and treacherous town of Port Artue where they find themselves cornered by pirates and on the run from the law.

The final chapter will be the most bombastic part of the series and we promise it will be an absolute over-the-top experience that you will remember with much joy. We want you to think back to The Journey Down with the same warm nostalgia that you have for those classic games from the 90s. And one day, a long time from now, you will look back on this very day and say to yourself: "Damn I'm glad I spent my hard earned cash to shape video game history".

The story and design for Chapter Three is already in place and we're really excited to start actual production. We know every location, character and puzzle that will be there and we know just how we want to put it all together.

The third chapter will cover more ground than the previous chapters so expect a wide variety of locations and landscapes. Rather than having the story revolve around a central geographical point, the game will carry the player through the environments and places that haven't been seen before.

If you're a point & click adventure nerd like us, then it should come as no surprise that LucasArts is our main source of inspiration for The Journey Down. We're huge fans of the old games of the genre, especially the Monkey Island series and Grim Fandango that stand out as unique and pioneering pieces of video game history.

The other main inspiration for The Journey Down can be found in sub-saharan African patterns, fabrics, carvings and traditional masks. The styles used are influenced by many different tribes, but particularly from the Makonde and Chokwe tribes.

Below are musical samples from the first two games' award winning soundtracks. Music for the third Chapter will mainly be produced by Jamie Salisbury, who wrote much of the music for Chapter Two.

Add-on is when you put in a higher pledge than what is your chosen reward tier requires. If say, you choose the 200 SEK "digital trilogy"-tier but pledge 500 SEK, then you have 300 SEK left to spend on add-ons.

When the campaign is about to finish, we'll send out a backer survey where you can specify which add-on you want us to send you. Don't forget to take shipping costs into account if you're going for a physical add-on. Shipping costs are specified for each add-on separately.

Pretty sweet, huh? But if you're missing anything in particular, or if you have suggestions about the tiers and rewards, please let us know in the comments! We'll try to create new add-ons based on backer feedback and criticism as the campaign goes on.

Important: We can't guarantee that all rewards will look exactly like this because we have no way of hooking up all printing details before the campaign has been successfully funded.

It's hard to make ends meet as an independent developer. We've lived cheap as hell the past couple of years - and don't regret it for a second - but reality is a rough lover and now we really need some outside help to afford this final stretch.

To be clear, the amount we ask for this campaign does not cover all the costs for creating the trilogy. It doesn't even cover all the costs for Chapter Three. Actually, we've already covered most costs ourselves using money from previous sales and occasional contract work coming our way. Yes, we do sell ourselves to other game studios now and then..

TL;DR: Give us a hand with the final chapter and we'll give you the entire trilogy dirt cheap :)

So who are these three geeks from Sweden anyways? Well, we started making games together ten years ago and we love it more for every day. We've been working from many different places over the years but you can usually find us somewhere in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Risks and challenges

Having produced the first two chapters of the series, we feel very confident that we know what it takes - and that we have what it takes - to finish production of the final chapter. That said, one should always be aware that unexpected situations may arise and that, regardless of how well you plan your production schedule, you may come across severe problems that could potentially turn the project on its head.

In the case of SkyGoblin, which is an independent studio, there are not many external factors to take into account. However, the simple fact that it is developed by a small team means that every team member is essential to keep up production, and consequently, the production loss from a single team member can result in delays for the entire project. We have taken this into account in the production schedule to accommodate for "hickups" that may occur along the way, but there is always a risk of delays.

The biggest risk - that we'll end up making a new trilogy after this one - is something you'll have to live with :-)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge SEK 400 or more
About US$ 44

(approx. $48)

DIGITAL TREASURE CHEST

All rewards from DIGITAL TRILOGY

+ DRM-free soundtracks for all three chapters
+ Digital Art Book with a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process in the making of The Journey Down
+ An exclusive, downloadable concert featuring Simon D'Souza and his 11-man jazz band performing music from The Journey Down live on stage.

+ Your name will appear in the end game credits, credited as "Kickstarter Backer".

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge SEK 2,500 or more
About $277

(approx. $294)

UNDERLAND EXPLORER

This is for the TRUE point and click collectors out there.

All rewards from GOOD LOOKIN'

+ A MASSIVE collector's edition box!
+ Kickstarter-exclusive, canvas printed map of the Valley of Roots.
+ Printed and signed Art Book with a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process in the making of The Journey Down.
+ Personal "Thank you"-card signed by the entire SkyGoblin team.
+ Exclusive, digital download developer commentary featuring us three developers playing and discussing the game.

+ Your name will appear in big shiny letters in the end game credits, credited as "Kickstarter Explorer".

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge SEK 3,750 or more
About $416

(approx. $440)

HENCHMANIA

All rewards from UNDERLAND EXPLORER

+ You get to name an in-game henchman working for the Armando Power Company. The henchman's name will appear in the APC records that you will access as part of one of the puzzles in chapter three. (Names are subject of approval so "Bingo Doggiebaggins" probably won't be accepted.)

+ Your name will be credited as "Kickstarter Henchman" in big shiny letters in the end game credits.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge SEK 6,350 or more
About $704

(approx. $747)

ARRRRR!!

All rewards from UNDERLAND EXPLORER

+ You get to name an in-game pirate from Madame Sisulu's crew - a swashbuckling aeronaut who'll prove important to the fate of the Underland. (Names are subject of approval so "Buttnut McDinkelberry" probably won't be accepted.)

+ Your name will be credited as "Kickstarter Pirate" in big shiny letters in the end game credits.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge SEK 8,500 or more
About $942

(approx. $1000)

RASTA OVERLOAD

All rewards from UNDERLAND EXPLORER

+ Become the owner of one of the three RastaPads in existance. These RastaPads are uniquely handcrafted frames that were designed for demoing The Journey Down at conferences and have now been refurbished with fine art giclée prints from The Journey Down. Here's your chance to have a piece of video game history hanging on your wall!

+ Your name will be credited as "Kickstarter Rastaman" in XXL letters in the end game credits.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge SEK 21,000 or more
About $2,328

(approx. $2470)

GAME JAMMIN'

All rewards from UNDERLAND EXPLORER

+ Got a cool game idea? Need a kickass team to make it come to life? Come hang out with us for one weekend of intense game jamming in Gotheburg, Sweden (travel & accomodation not included). Choose the role of game designer, artist or coder and we'll create a totally new game together. We'll be your dedicated geeks for this whole project and leave no pixel unturned!

+ Your name will be credited as "Kickstarter Game Jammer" in ENORMOUS letters in the end game credits.